


An Unfortunate Reading

by Aaronlisa



Category: Penny Dreadful (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 15:51:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7514215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronlisa/pseuds/Aaronlisa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sir Malcolm seeks out Vanessa to help him find his daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unfortunate Reading

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Smallfandomfest for the prompt of Vanessa Ives and modern day AU.

It's hard to get people to buy into the idea of the supernatural in this age of science. Magic is unbelievable and unrecognizable. Even God has become a bedtime story to all but the extremely devout. Yet people still come to psychics asking questions that science can't answer - _does he love me? will he love me? how can I win his love? why did he fall out of love with me?_ It's rather sickening how many of her clients are lovesick. 

Most of Madame Ives' clientele are either twenty-something girls who want to still believe in the fairy tale romances that Hollywood spoon fed them or bored middle-aged wives who want some sort of meaning in their lives when they find out that their husband's fucking their much younger, prettier and tighter assistants. It's an easy job and most of the time, she doesn't even need to use her real gifts. Instead she tells the women who see her neat little lies. She tells them what they want to hear, what will encourage them to move on. 

There are a few clients that know she's the real deal and they pay extra for her to tell them their future in tarot cards. They want to hear their true future and fortune told to them in an unflinching tone of voice no matter the outcome, good or bad. These clients pay her extra regardless of what she tells them. She has a different tarot deck for them. These clients call her Miss Ives and don't visit as often. 

It's a regular day at the house that she works out of with a group of other psychics. Most of them don't have the same talents as she does, but she enjoys the company in between the clients. She's in between clients, sipping at a cup of tea and trying to figure out what she'll say to one of her clients who doesn't want to accept that her husband is divorcing her when Brona enters the room. 

"Hello Miss Vanessa," Brona says with a smile. 

Vanessa smiles back at her and greets her in return. 

"You have a client," Brona tells her. "A very posh older gentleman. Insisted on seeing Miss Vanessa Ives." 

"I have Mrs James in fifteen minutes, perhaps you could direct him to see Charlotte." 

Brona makes a face at her as it's not like Vanessa to turn away a client. But there's something about this man that makes her feel uneasy. Her life right now is rather simple and easy. She fears who is calling for her and what it could mean. 

"I've already told him that you're booked solid, love, and he insisted on seeing you. He said he'd wait all day and you know how Madame King feels about clients waiting. Perhaps Charlotte could see Mrs James?" 

Madame King is the owner of the building and their boss. She's rather ruthless and she despises when any of the girls that work for her don't rush to serve the richer clients over the other clients. Vanessa sighs and drains her cup of tea. It's gone cold and bitter. 

"Very well, give me five minutes to set up the room and then send him in. Tell Charlotte what's happened and perhaps she can make Mrs James see reason." 

Mrs James is about to divorce a rather wealthy man and although Madame King has no qualms about taking as much of her money while they still can, none of the girls feel comfortable lying to Mrs James when it's clear to anyone with or without any psychic gifts that her marriage is over and her husband will never be coming back to her. 

* * * 

Vanessa's room is dressed to look like an old fashioned Victorian parlour. It's over the top, especially considering Madame King found her telling fortunes in a seaside cafe that had seen better times five years ago but Madame King insists that all of her girls have rooms that are dressed in certain ways. Charlotte has a room that looks like a gypsy caravan - or at least what Hollywood has decided looks like a gypsy caravan. It's all gauzy fabrics and tacky. Vanessa often jokes with Brona that Madame King would be better off running a themed brothel. 

Still the clients seem to like the atmosphere that the rooms give so Vanessa doesn't complain too much. Her employment allows her to pay her half of the rent of the flat that she shares with Brona. 

There's a sharp knock on the door and Vanessa exhales. She relaxes her face so that no emotion shows before calling out. 

"Come in." 

For a moment, she doesn't recognize the man standing in front of her. And then it all comes rushing back to her. And her stomach is twisted into knots even as she rises to her feet with a smile on her lips. 

"Sir Malcolm," Vanessa greets him. "What a pleasure." 

It's not really a pleasure but they both behave as if it is and then he's crossing the room from the door and sweeping her up into an embrace as if she was still connected to his family through his children. His arms remain around her far too long but she allows because she hadn't realized how homesick she truly was. 

He lets her go and holds her at arm's length. His eyes are critical and she wonders if he will find her lacking. 

"You look well Vanessa," Sir Malcolm tells her. 

"Thank you." 

Sir Malcolm, on the other hand, looks tired and ragged. He has the appearance of a man who has run a marathon. Several of them. 

"Is all well?" Vanessa cautiously asks. 

"Mina is missing." 

She can't help the sharp exhale of breath at Mina's name. Once upon a time, she had fancied herself in love with Mina. Sweet, lovely, Mina. But Mina only had eyes for Jonathan Harker. Mina had seen Vanessa only as a sister and had tried to encourage a love affair between her brother, Peter, and Vanessa. It was the first sour note between Vanessa and the Murray family. 

Vanessa quickly pushes thoughts of the past away. There is no reason for why Sir Malcolm would be here. He's never believed in her special gifts and he had been determined to see her institutionalized because of them. 

"I'm surprised that you're here," Vanessa quietly says. "I've not spoken to Mina in years. I can't help you." 

His hands tighten around her wrists as she's about to turn away. 

"I was a foolish man back then but I've learned far too much about the world now and I believe that you can help me." 

"You'd be better served by going to the police Sir Malcolm." 

"There are people who whisper your name and your ability. Don't pretend to be something that you're not," Sir Malcolm says. "You're not a simple girl fleecing the clients into believe that you have special powers." 

"Very well, Sir Malcolm," Vanessa says. "What do you hope to gain if I give you a reading?" 

He chuckles at her. Vanessa hates the sound of it. She had thought that she had run long enough from the Murray family. She'd changed her last name. taken on her paternal grandmother's maiden name but apparently she hadn't escaped Sir Malcolm's long reach. 

"I think that you owe me more than a mere reading," Sir Malcolm tells her. "I know that a creature has taken her." 

"And how do you figure that I owe you more than a reading?"

Sir Malcolm pulls out an envelope and thrusts it at her. Vanessa reluctantly takes it from him. Her name is in Mina's clear and childish script. 

"This came in the post for you two days ago. I took the liberty of reading it," Sir Malcolm tells her. "My daughter was taken because of you." 

"That's impossible," Vanessa protests. "I live a very quiet life, no one knows about who I was before. No one knows of my connection to your family." 

"Don't play the simpleton Vanessa, it wasn't a person who took my daughter but some creature of the night that knows of you."

She shivers at the coldness in his voice. There are things that she has no control over, things that have happened to her, things that marked her that were a direct result of his actions. She wants to call him on it but instead she sinks to her chair and opens the letter and reads it. When she is done, she sets it on the table. 

"What do you want from me Sir Malcolm?" 

"You will help me to find my daughter." 

"Very well, but I have clients that I must see and then I must make arrangements with Madame King." 

The way that he looks at her is calculating and for a moment she fears that he will tell her to give it all up. She fears that this is an elaborate trap to have her sent to the institution again. Finally he nods at her. 

"Very well," Sir Malcolm tells her. "Meet me at the town house by seven tonight." 

"Yes," Vanessa says. 

"You do remember the address?" 

"Of course," Vanessa tells him. 

She wants to run as far as she can. Even without consulting her cards, she knows that this adventure will only lead to heart break and death. 

 

((END))


End file.
